Apple Child
by Emeralddusk
Summary: Set after Night and based in part on "Short Apples" comic by FrenkieArt as portrayed by Pitch and Magpie Productions. Applejack struggles to adjust after the horror of the battle. Artwork used: "[SFM] Days Gone By" by RogerDaily on Deviant Art and used with permission.


**Set after Night: Bridge Stories Series One: Story 3**

 _My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic_

Applejack

 _Still so hard to believe…All that destruction, all those nightmares…But now, the war's over. Time tuh rebuild._ Planting a new row of apple trees in her family orchard to replace the ones uprooted by the storm, Applejack carefully buried the seeds like a mother tucking her foal into bed. The day was cooled by gentle winds as the Sun remained bright and warm. _After all that madness, today jus' seems…quiet. With Nat Mare Moon gone fer good, yuh'd think Ah wouldn't mand the quiet…Just ain't the same, though. It's like there's somethin' missing. Been tryin' tuh figure out what it is…Jus' ain't that easy tuh really_ _ **think**_ _these days._

As the orange Pony planted the seeds, her big brother, Big Mac, bucked against the intact trees as his red coat shined in the midday Sun. Although his intelligent and loving eyes said otherwise, there was a sort of beautiful simplicity to the stallion. Catching herself glancing at him, Applejack felt something like envy for her brother: How could he just carry on without saying a word about all that had happened? There was nothing left to fear, but everypony seemed completely unaffected by all that had happened: All of them but Applejack.

"AJ?" Apple Bloom's voice broke the silence. Startled, Applejack jumped slightly before facing her baby sister. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, sugar cube," the orange Pony answered, wiping the sweat off her brow. "Ah'm alright. What's up?"

"You've been workin' all day, sis," the little filly declared. "Even Big Mac's taken a break. Wan' me to get you some lemonade? Maybe you can sit down fer a bit?"

"Thanks fer the offer, kiddo, but Ah'd rather stick to what Ah'm doin' right now," Applejack answered, returning to her planting.

Apple Bloom's eyes sunk downward in defeat. "Sis, have you been sleepin' okay?" she asked.

"…Pardon?" the young mare replied as if caught off-guard.

"You seem kind of…not-there lately," Apple Bloom continued. "Yuh always seem busy, you _never_ take breaks, n' yer just…actin' kinda funny."

The two recalled the previous night, around eleven o'clock. After being ordered by Granny Smith to stop working for the day, Applejack had been slipping in and out of sleep on the couch for several hours until Apple Bloom woke her and walked her to her room. Having to tuck her big sister into bed, as she used to do for her, Bloom put out Applejack's candle, kissed her, and bid her goodnight. Then, after about two hours, the older of the Apple sisters found herself awake atop her blankets. Her mind still drifting, the orange Pony got up and stumbled around, ready to get back to the fields. Suddenly, her door creaked open, and Apple Bloom walked in, stopped her sister, and put her back to bed.

"Ah'm worried, is all, sis," the Pony filly concluded. "What's wrong?"

Letting out a heavy sigh, Applejack stood up and faced her sister. "Honestly, sugar cube," she began. "Ah have no idea." _Ah think Ah just need to be…alone for a little bit._

Later that day, Granny Smith told her grandfoals they had business in Canterlot. They would be leaving that night and returning promptly, making for about two days away from Sweet Apple Acres. "Well, we'd best get a move on," Granny declared, seeing the Sun was still bright.

"Ah think Ah should stay behind n' look after the place," Applejack replied with a tilt of her hat. "There's still more work to be done here."

"Applejack, you shouldn't stay here by yerself," Apple Bloom nervously declared. "Ah mean, you've been workin' yerself tuh death, and Ah won't be there to make sure you…"

"I'll take it easy, Apple Bloom," the older of the Apple sisters promised. "Don't worry 'bout me, okay?" Big Mac looked at his sister, received the reassuring nod he needed, and silently gave his approval to Granny Smith.

"We'll only be gone a short while, Applejack," the elderly Pony declared. "I'll trust you to take care-a Sweet Apple Acres _and_ yerself, you hear?"

"Yes, ma'am," Applejack gave her word. "Good luck, y'all." Apple Bloom looked at her sister, who gave her word and kissed her forehead. "Don't worry about me, sis. I'll be fan." Giving in, the filly joined her big brother and grandma as they said their goodbyes and departed to the train station.

After finishing her dinner, Applejack looked outside as the setting Sun painted the sky red. "Well, still got some Sunlight," she spoke to herself. "Might as well git the last of the brush thrown on the pile."

Adjusting her hat, the orange Pony ventured back outside, giving Winona a quick pet as she stepped off the porch. Her worn shoes digging into the dirt, Applejack made her way past the trees that survived the Night. Suddenly, a rustling sound broke her concentration, causing her to glance back. However, there was nothing to be seen. Turning back, the Pony picked up some twigs in her mouth and prepared to take a haul. Before she could leave, though, a thud sound from one of the trees attracted her attention to a rustling pile of leaves underneath. "In tarnation," she said to herself, setting down the sticks and approaching the pile. Assuming an apple had fallen prematurely, Applejack stepped up to the leaves, only to be startled by the sound of crying. Winona was still resting on the porch, and nopony was home. "What the…H-hello?" Gazing down at the leaves, the Pony carefully brushed through them to uncover a squirming, crying little foal where the alleged apple should have been. Shocked, Applejack took a step back, looked around, and turned her gaze back to the mysterious baby. "Where'd you come from?" she asked out loud. The baby kept its eyes tightly closed as it kicked its back legs and flailed its front, still sobbing. Obviously male, the little foal's coat was as white as the inside of a Red Delicious apple and crowned with brown hair. "Alright, alright, calm down." Picking up the baby, Applejack gently rocked him in her warm embrace until he quieted down. "What were you doin' all the way out here by yerself? Don't you have somepony lookin' for you?" As if answering the question, the apple-child squeaked and groaned. "Come on, let's get you inside before you catch cold. You don' even have yerself a diaper, do you?" The foal cooed, reaching its hooves to touch his savior's long blond hair. Carefully grabbing the little colt's scruff with her mouth, Applejack made her way back to the house, letting Winona inside as the Sun finally set.

Taking extra care to keep from bumping the mysterious baby into anything, the orange Pony reached into a shelf, knocked a small piece of fabric down onto the table, and set the foal on top of it. "This'll do fer now," she said as she fastened the edges around the little one's sides to form a makeshift diaper. "You like that, little colt?" Leaning forward slightly, the baby let out a satisfied giggle while staring at Applejack. Finding herself staring back, the young mare smiled. "I'm guessin' you can't tell me where your parents are, huh?" Confused, the baby tilted his head to the side before sucking on his hoof. "I'll take that as a no. Ah know what it's like to have your parents run away lak that. Not easy, is it?" His large eyes nearly twinkling, the little Pony squeaked in response. "Well, you've got a home here until they decide to show up." Deep down, Applejack had a strong feeling the foal's parents were never coming back. "Ah don' even know your name…Well, I'm Applejack. It's a pleasure to meet you." Smiling at the little colt, the orange Pony couldn't help but remember Apple Bloom as a baby, and how she needed her big sister. Those days were long gone, but the feeling was starting to return.

Soon, the baby began to cry and start kicking. His tears were so bitter and his cries so helpless. Immediately washed over with compassion, Applejack picked the foal up and gently rocked him. "What's wrong, little fella?" she lovingly asked. "Your little tummy empty? Yeah? Lemme make you something, okay?" Carefully setting the mysterious baby down in a small cardboard box she'd lined with blankets, the young mare went to work putting together a formula. "Sorry, I _really_ wasn't expectin' company. I'll get you a high chair in one sec. Until then, sit tight, alright?" As Applejack worked, the baby tugged on the blankets and rubbed them against his little cheek, cooing with comfort. Once she finished the formula, the Pony pulled Apple Bloom's old high chair out of the closet, set it up at the table, and picked up the foal, who took the blanket with him. Setting the little colt into his chair, Applejack prepared a bottle and attempted to put it in the little one's mouth, only to be met with fidgeting and groans. "What's wrong? Yer hungry, aren't yuh?" Bitter, the colt grumbled and crossed his hooves across his chest. "Do you want me to cuddle you while you eat?" Tightly clinging to the blanket he claimed as his own, the baby closed his eyes and openly refused Applejack's attempts. "Come on, little one." Picking up the squirming foal, the Pony picked up the bottle with her mouth, took a seat on the couch, and lightly rocked the baby before placing the bottle in his mouth. "No rush. We've got all night." Finally giving in, the little one began to suck on his bottle, tasting the apple and cooing with delight. Within seconds, he had finished the formula, prompting Applejack to burp him. "You were _hungry,_ weren't you? Poor dear…Ah guess it's a good thing we found each other. Only question is…how?"

Before she could realize it, the Pony found herself gazing off into space, only to be snapped out of her trance when the foal let out his last burp and nuzzled into her shoulder. "Momma," his sweet and high-pitched voice squeaked.

"W-what?" Applejack replied, caught completely off-guard. "Kiddo, Ah like you n' all…but Ah'm not your…Well, Ah guess you don't need tuh hear that right now…do you?" _He's just…so small: So helpless. How could anypony just toss him aside? …But why would he come to me, of_ _ **all**_ _ponies?_

Setting up Apple Bloom's old crib in her bedroom, Applejack gave the apple-colt one last hug, a kiss goodnight, and placed him back-down on the soft bed. "Sleep tight, sweetheart," she whispered as the baby closed his eyes. Setting her hat on her headboard, Applejack sat down on the side of her bed, facing the wall. At this time of night, for the past couple of days, her sorrow seemed to reach its peak. Letting out a heavy sigh, the Pony looked out her window at the orchard, only to hear the baby fussing. Turning back, she saw him squirming as if searching for something, and beginning to cry. "Hey, little one," she gently whispered, rushing to the colt's side and slowly picking him up. "Ssh. Don't cry. No need to cry now. Sssh. It's okay: Ah'm here. Ah'm _right_ here for you." As the foal rested peacefully in her arms, Applejack felt a smile form on her face as it whispered something to her before falling asleep. The two stayed that way until the Sun came up. Suddenly, things didn't seem so bad.

"Applejack!" the orange Pony found herself hearing as she awoke from a dream. The two days were up, and the rest of the Apple family was coming home. As always, Apple Bloom was the first to run up and hug her big sister. "We're back!"

"Ah can see that!" Applejack happily replied, not knowing how to tell her family about the foal. "Welcome back, y'all." Gazing into her baby sister's sweet, smiling face, the young mare felt her heart warm over. "Ah really missed you."

"Ah missed you too, big sis!" the young Pony happily replied. "Hope you didn't spend the whole time workin'."

"No…no, not really," Applejack answered, glancing back at the house where the apple-colt was sleeping. "Um, Ah have somethin' to tell y'all. It's…somethin' kinda strange." Leading her family inside, the Pony looked around to see everything as it was before they departed. There was no sign of the little foal or Apple Bloom's baby items.

"What's up, AJ?" Apple Bloom asked, still awaiting an explanation. Looking around, Applejack felt a sense of closure, though there was no physical evidence to back any of it up. "Are you okay?"

"…Yeah," the Pony answered, picking up her baby sister. "Yeah, Ah think Ah'm gonna be okay. I…Ah _had_ somethin' to show y'all…but Ah guess it can all wait. Apple Bloom, Ah think Ah've been spendin' too much time alone. Maybe Ah'll take that break you offered…Would you like tuh hang out…jus' the two of us?"

"No kiddin'?" the foal excitedly asked, her smile growing.

"The honest truth," Applejack answered. "How 'bout we take a walk down by the lake?" Apple Bloom smiled and nodded her head. "Just lemme git somethin' from my room first, okay?"

Opening her room, where the apple-colt had slept for the past two nights, the young mare looked around to find the crib packed away in the closet she had found it in. Staring out her window, she saw the tree and the pile of leaves beneath it, still missing the apple. The Sun shined bright on Sweet Apple Acres, as it did before the storm. Everything was as it once was. Though they didn't get a chance to say goodbye, Applejack remembered the foal's smile as she held him. Now, Apple Bloom was waiting. "Thanks, kiddo," she whispered, grabbing her hat and smiling at that missing apple. "Thanks fer keepin' me company." Somewhere, the mysterious colt smiled at the mare that had taken him in as her own, if just for a few days.

As Applejack and Apple Bloom walked down the road, the older of the sisters placed her hat atop her sister's red mane, and allowed herself to feel joy once more. There was nothing left to distract her: Her life was her own once more, and she chose to share it with her family. "Ah love you, kiddo."

"Ah love you too, big sis," Apple Bloom warmly replied, pushing her sister's hat out of her eyes. "Glad yer back to bein' yer old self."

 **Inspired by "Short Apples" by Frenkieart as displayed by Pitch and Magpie Productions.**


End file.
